A family compound planned with light in mind

By Lisa Boone

Los Angeles Times

Posted:
01/03/2013 10:00:00 AM PST

Updated:
01/04/2013 08:17:16 AM PST

Craig Ehrlich didn't particularly want a modern house. But everything he valued -- light, air, indoor-outdoor living, sustainable building materials -- has been realized in his completed 1,150-square-foot house in Santa Monica, one that feels much larger, thanks to its contemporary sculptural design.

With its exterior wood screens and expanses of glass, the house is immediately intriguing, but the interior elements -- geometric cutouts in the architecture and dynamic double-height spaces -- are what make the small house feel substantial.

The design is essentially a square, but each corner of the second floor has what architect John Friedman describes as unexpected "bites," like a block of cheese with wedges sliced off. That feature delivers more than sunlight to the first floor; it provides an artful surprise. "You get joy and pleasure from the way the light enters the house," says Friedman, who designed the house with partner Alice Kimm.

The large triangular cutout above the two-story living room adds to the sense of spaciousness. An adjoining Zen garden just outside glass doors exudes peace and privacy, extending the footprint of the modest floor plan. An upstairs bedroom, two bathrooms, a loftlike kitchen, two-car garage and outdoor dining table set under a pergola complete the design.

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Motorized skylights allow hot air to escape in summer; radiant-heat flooring keeps rooms comfortable in winter. Rooftop solar panels that provide hot water and other environmentally friendly features put the house on track to earn gold LEED certification for homes from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

For the architects, some of the biggest challenges came from the unusual nature of the property. Ehrlich already owned a house on the street. When the lot next door became available, he bought it and called on Friedman and Kimm to design the new house as guest quarters for visiting family and friends, some of whom stay for months at a time. The entrepreneur said the new living room also serves as his home office.

The two houses are integrated by an open landscape that includes a saltwater pool, a wood deck acting as a bridge between the two structures and an outdoor dining terrace topped with photovoltaic panels. The pool sits off to the side, leaving more room for a lawn where Ehrlich's daughter, Leah, 7, can run and play.

"He was really thinking about his daughter," Friedman says. "He wanted to give (her) that traditional American backyard experience."

A retaining wall on one side of the pool creates a higher plateau with a view out over the main yard and also provides some separation from the Zen garden off the living room.

Having lived in Asia part time since 1987, Ehrlich says his exposure to multigenerational living influenced his desire for a family compound. "It's more than just physically living together," Ehrlich says of the environment he was hoping to create. "It's an attitude that families living together is a good thing. It's considered an honor to take care of your family."

Ehrlich stresses that his 87-year-old father is in good health, but back when his main house, also designed by Friedman and Kimm, was being built, he included a room on the first floor with grandpa in mind. Now, with the guest house for other family members in place, Ehrlich says his dream for a modern family home is complete. "It's everything I imagined."